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Meltzer's Musings: Gustafsson Signs With Avangard Omsk |
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It looks like Erik Gustafsson's Philadelphia Flyers career is over. The 25-year-old restricted free agent defenseman has signed a contract with Kontinental Hockey League team Avangard Omsk. The signing was reported by Russian hockey reporter Igor Erenko of Sport.Ru and also confirmed by Swedish national newspapers Aftonbladet and Expressen.
Gustafsson is coming off a disappointing 2013-14 season for the Flyers. On the heels of playing very well for Peter Laviolette in the final 10 games of the 2012-13 season and even better for gold-medal winning Sweden at the 2013 World Championships, he came to training camp last year with a starting job to lose. He had a poor preseason and lost the job.
The Flyers changed coaches after three regular season games, firing Laviolette and promoting Craig Berube from assistant to head coach. Gustafsson was in and out of the lineup -- more out than in -- for the rest of the season, as the Flyers flip-flopped between Gustafsson and Andrej Meszaros as their sixth defenseman on the depth chart.
Statistically, Gustafsson performed well when he had the chance to play. In 31 regular season appearances, he posted two goals, 10 points and a plus-seven rating while averaging 17:31 of ice time. In the postseason, he dressed in Game Six and Game Seven of the Flyers' Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series with the New York Rangers. Gustafsson scored a breakaway goal after exiting the penalty box in the second period of Game Six.
Nevertheless, Gustafsson was unable to stay in the lineup on a consistent basis. Berube felt that the undersized defenseman was not consistent enough in using the things he does well -- moving his feet, triggering the rush and making intelligent pinches from the point -- to justify having a third small defenseman in a lineup that already featured Kimmo Timonen and Mark Streit. Perhaps the biggest issue was Gustafsson's lack of muscle. Despite making a commendable effort, he lost far more battles than he won on the walls and in front of the net.
When the Flyers acquired (and subsequently re-signed) Andrew MacDonald while trading Meszaros at the deadline, it was clear that Gustafsson was locked into the seventh spot on the depth chart even if he had stayed with the team. Still a restricted free agent this summer for NHL purposes, the Flyers may still present a qualifying offer to Gustafsson to retain his rights.
In the broader picture, Gustafsson probably would have struggled to get NHL playing time in most organizations. There are similar puck-moving defensemen around the league -- Philip Larsen is a prime example -- who are in the same boat. Players like Gustafsson and Larsen are not enough of standouts on the offensive side of the puck or quite good enough of defenders to overcome below-average size and muscle.
Prior to the announcement of his departure for the KHL, I spoke off-the-record with pro scouts from three other NHL organizations about their views of Gustafsson. None of them felt Berube was under-utilizing Gustafsson, as some Flyers fans believed.
Wrote one scout via email, " I think Gus is a number 7 dman on most NHL teams. I like his try and he has some offense, but a lack of size and average skills will limit his upside. As long as his salary remains on the low side, he is an asset. He is replaceable if he wants too much money for me."
The second scout also felt that Gustafsson was no more than a "serviceable seventh defenseman" in the NHL. The other thought he could still improve enough to hold down a number six spot but "he is not there yet."
In the KHL, Gustafsson will play a bigger role and get heavy-duty ice time. It is not out of the question that he could end up back in the NHL at some point, and might even become a regular starter for some team (Flyers or otherwise). He is still in his mid-20s and he wouldn't be the first late-bloomer to exceed the ceiling that was initially projected for him.
Gustafsson is currently with Team Sweden at the IIHF World Championships in Minsk, Belarus.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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